ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements the Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years since 2011. The scheme is supported by the National Health Mission through State Programme Implementation Plan  route based on the proposals received from the States / UTs. The major objectives of the scheme are  to increase awareness among adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene;  to increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls, and  to ensure safe disposal of sanitary napkins in an environment friendly manner. Under the scheme, a pack of sanitary napkins are provided to adolescent girls by the Accredited Social Health Activist  at subsidized rate of Rs. 6 per pack.
In addition, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has developed National Guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management  for creating awareness on Menstrual Hygiene Management  in rural areas as part of its overall interventions related to behaviour change on sanitation hygiene aspect.
Further, to ensure access to sanitary napkins and good quality medicines at affordable price, Department of Pharmaceuticals under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers implements the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janausadhi Pariyojna , an important step in ensuring the health security for women. Under the project, over 8700 Janaushidhi Kendras have been set up across the country that provides Oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins named Suvidha at Rs. 1/- per pad only.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM congratulates Men's Badminton Team on winning a silver medal at Asian Games
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated the Men's Badminton Team on winning the Silver Medal at the Asian Games.
He also praised their exceptional teamwork, skills and determination and said that they have made the nation proud.
The Prime Minister posted on X:
"Kudos to our Men's Badminton Team on winning the Silver Medal at the Asian Games.
Congratulations to @srikidambi, @PRANNOYHSPRI, @lakshya_sen, @satwiksairaj, @Shettychirag04, @ManjunathMithun, @dhruvkapilaa, @SaiPratheek12, @arjunmr, @RohanKa43345391.
Their exceptional teamwork, skills, and determination have made the nation proud."
President's Secretariat
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany calls on the President
The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Mr Olaf Scholz called on the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan today .
Welcoming Chancellor Scholz on his first visit to India as German Chancellor, the President said that India and Germany have a long standing relationship, which is underpinned by our common values and shared goals. Our bilateral relationship encompasses a wide range of areas, reflecting the mutual trust that has been nurtured over decades.
The President noted that Germany is India’s largest trade partner in Europe and also among the top investors in India. She said that Germany is also India’s second largest development cooperation partner and has played an important role in India’s developmental journey. In recent years, Germany has emerged as a favoured destination for Indian students and researchers wishing to pursue higher education, especially in Science and Technology. She said that India and Germany also have strong cultural connect, with a long tradition of German Indologists working on India.
The President said that India and Germany have a shared aims in upholding democratic values, the rules-based international order, multilateralism, as well as the reform of multilateral institutions. As two vibrant, pluralistic democracies, India and Germany can play an important role in addressing new and emerging global challenges.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
LABORATORY FOR CHECKING THE QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER
As reported by States/UTs, so far 2021 drinking water quality testing laboratories at different levels viz. State, district, sub-division and/or block level, has been set up in the country. State-wise details of drinking water quality testing laboratories is at Annex-I.
To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household by 2024, since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission  – Har Ghar Jal. Thus, as of date, out of 19.27 Crore rural households in the country, 8.88 Crore  households are reported to have provision of tap water supply in their homes. State-wise details is at Annex– II.
The State/UT, district & village-wise status of tap water connection in rural households, schools and anganwadi centres as reported by States/ UTs is in public domain and available on JJM dashboard at:
https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx
This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Electronics & IT
25.25 crore e-KYC transactions carried out using Aadhaar in September; over 175 crore authentications done during the month
Over 21 crore AEPS transactions carried out during the month
UIDAI successfully executes over 1.62 crore Aadhaar updation requests from residents in Sept
Aadhaar adoption and usage by residents continues to progress well, indicative of how it is aiding ease of living. In September alone, 25.25 crore e-KYC transactions were executed via Aadhaar, almost 7.7% jump in such transactions when compared with August.
An e-KYC transaction is done, only with the explicit consent of the Aadhaar holder, and eliminates physical paperwork, and in-person verification requirement for KYC.
Aadhaar e-KYC service is increasingly playing a crucial role for banking and non-banking financial services by providing better and transparent customer experience, and ease of doing business.
The cumulative number of e-KYC transactions via Aadhaar so far has increased to 1297.93 crore by the end of September 2022.
Similarly, Aadhaar Enabled Payment System  has been an enabler of financial inclusion at the bottom of the income pyramid.
Cumulatively, 1549.84 crores of last mile banking transactions have been made possible through the use of AEPS and the network of micro ATMs so far by the end of Sept 2022. In September alone, 21.03 crore number of AEPS transactions were carried out across India.
In September, 175.41 crore authentication transactions were carried out via Aadhaar. A majority of these monthly transactions were done by using fingerprint biometric authentication, followed by demographic and OTP authentication.
So far, cumulatively 8250.36 crore authentication transactions have been completed by the end of Sept, indicative of how Aadhaar is sincere with its stated vision.
Aadhaar saturation is now near universal among the adult population of India. Among all age groups, Aadhaar saturation was 93.92% by end of September.
During the month of September, residents successfully updated more than 1.62 crore Aadhaars as against 1.46 crore such updates carried out in August.
Cumulatively, till date  little above 66.63 crore Aadhaar numbers have been successfully updated following requests from the residents.
These updation requests are related to demographic as well as biometric updates done at both physical Aadhaar centres, and by using the online Aadhaar platform.
Whether it is AEPS for last mile banking, e-KYC, Aadhaar enabled DBT or authentication, Aadhaar has been playing a stellar role in supporting the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Digital India.
Aadhaar, a digital infrastructure of good governance, is a facilitator of both ease of living and ease of doing business. The digital ID is helping various ministries and departments in the centre and at states in improving efficiency, transparency and delivery of welfare services to the targeted beneficiaries.
So far, around 1000 welfare schemes in the country run by both centre and states have been notified to use Aadhaar.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Mann Ki Baat: Prime Minister appreciated the launch of Maitree Channel by Akashvani
Kolkata, 25th April, 2023
“My dear countrymen, India has always tried its best to have close, cordial and vibrant relations with its neighbours. A very important event took place recently. The Honourable President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a new radio channel named ‘Akashvani Maitree Channel’ at Kolkata. Now, some people may wonder whether Honourable President should inaugurate a Radio Channel? But this is no ordinary Radio Channel, it is a very big and very important step. We have Bangladesh as our neighbour. We know that both Bangladesh and West Bengal continue to have a common cultural heritage. So, Akashvani Maitree on this side and Bangladesh Betaar on that side will mutually share the content and Bengali speaking people on both sides will enjoy the programmes of Akashvani, that is, All India Radio. This people to people contact is a big contribution of Akashvani. The President launched this radio channel. I extend my thanks to Bangladesh also for collaborating with us in this initiative. I congratulate the friends in All India Radio too for making their contribution in our foreign policy also.”
During inauguration of this channel DG AIR, Shri F. Sheharyar said that, "Inspiration to design and launch this channel was mooted from one of the statements made by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India during his last visit to Dhaka, where he had mentioned that All India Radio and Bangladesh Betar should come out with a joint broadcast venture to create bridges of harmony, amity and mutual cooperation for peace and development in the South Asian Neighbourhood."
It may be mentioned that The Maitree channel of Akashvani that was inaugurated on 23rd August 2016 by the former Hon'ble President of India Sri Pranab Mukherjee, is a channel dedicated to showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Bengali speaking people. It strives to strengthen the ties between India and Bangladesh which was appreciated by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat on 28th August 2016.
The Muktijuddha that led to the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 with the strong support of India is still fresh in the minds of citizens of both countries. As Bangladesh celebrated the golden jubilee of its independence as well as the centenary of its first Prime Minister Sk Mujibur Rahman in 2021, Maitree mounted several relevant programmes including features and interviews that brought alive the fierce struggle of the people of Bangladesh to snatch freedom from the jaws of the enemy. The broadcast of Akashvani Kolkata during 1971 that kept the Bangladeshi people updated about the progress of war and provided ample inspiration figured prominently in the programmes of Maitree.
JN/SDG/ SA
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Ministry of Jal Shakti
On The Occasion of Gandhi Jayanti & Swachh Bharat Diwas, National Mission for Clean Ganga Leads Cleanliness Drive At ITO Chhat Ghat in Delhi
Entire Stretch of Chhat Ghat Cleaned During The Cleanliness Drive
With Completion Of 1300 MLD STP Projects of NMCG, A Visible Difference Would Be Seen In The Quality Of Water In The Coming Months
We Want People of Delhi To Take Pride In River Yamuna: DG, NMCG
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and Swachh Bharat Diwas, Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga  led a cleanliness drive at the ITO Chhat Ghat in Delhi, in association with partner NGOs, DJB, MCD, students, Ganga Vichar Manch, volunteers etc. The entire stretch of the Chhat Ghat was cleaned during the cleanliness drive which started at 7:30 a.m. Among the NGOs who took part were SYA, YSS, Tree Craze Foundation, Bharatiyam, FOY, RYF, TATA Consulting Engineers Ltd, UBSS etc. Swachhta Diwas is observed on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti every year.
Under Namami Gange Programme, regular cleanliness drives on the banks of Yamuna in Delhi are being done on every 4th Saturdays of the month and on one more important day of the month since February 2022 with the support of NGOs and other stakeholders. “We are focusing on the cleaning of River Yamuna, especially the Delhi stretch. With the completion of STP projects of NMCG to create a sewage treatment capacity of over 1300 MLD in Delhi in the year 2022, a visible difference would be seen in the quality of water in the coming months,” Shri Kumar said, adding, “We want people of Delhi to take pride in River Yamuna.”
Shri Kumar added that in the last one year, the projects have picked up pace under Namami Gange Programme and treatment capacity of about 1300 MLD is expected to be completed by 2022 in the Ganga Basin. He also talked about the Arth Ganga concept espoused by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and said that “a lot of initiatives are being taken including promotion of natural farming in a big way.”
DG, NMCG also informed that under Arth Ganga, an initiative to organize Ganga Artis on the banks of the River is also underway on a big scale. On the occasion of Swachhta Diwas, ‘Jai Shri Yamuna Arti’ was organised by NMCG today at Sur ghat in Delhi with the support of Sahakar Bharati. Cleaning of the tributaries of river Ganga, especially the rejuvenation of river Yamuna is one of the major objectives of the Namami Gange programme. A 318 MLD capacity STP has been commissioned recently at Coronation Pillar whereas 3 other main STPs have been targeted to be completed by December 2022 under Namami Gange Programme to ensure the Aviralta and Nirmalta of Yamuna. These include Rithala, Kondli and Okhla, one of the largest STPs in Asia. The completion of these projects will help in preventing sewage from drains into Yamuna.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Inspection by Central Pollution Control Board
Emission and discharge from industrial units are one of the many sources of pollution. All industries, including highly polluting  industries likechlor alkali, pesticide, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, dye &dye intermediate, fertilizer, oil refinery, inorganic chemicals andorganic chemical have provided pollution control system for effluent as well as emission to comply with the notified standards. The compliance status of effluent and emission standards is being monitored by Online Continuous Effluent/ Emission Monitoring System  by CPCB/SPCBs/PCCs. The details regarding action taken by the Central Pollution Control Board  on the violating industries i.e. issuance of Closure Directions, Show Cause Notice, imposition of Environmental Compensation etc. are available at CPCB’s website at: https://cpcb.nic.in/cpcb-directions-5ep.php / https://cpcb.nic.in/cpcb-directions.php
During last 3 years i.e. from 2019- 2021, CPCB has carried out inspection of 271 industries, out of which 104 units were found non-complying with prescribed environmental norms to whom show-cause notices and closure directions were issued under the provisions of Environment  Act, 1986. Out of 104 non-complying units, 78 units are complying with CPCB directions and for remaining unit’s directions of CPCB are still in force. State-wise status of industries inspected during 2019-21 is given below
State-wise compliance status of 17 categories of industries inspected on random-basis, selected based on the real time data received through OCEMS
|
|
Sl. No.
|
|
Year
|
|
Total no. of industries inspected
|
|
No. of industries found non-complying
|
|
No. of industries complied with CPCB directions
|
|
No. of industries for which CPCB directions are still in-force
|
|
1
|
|
2019
|
|
198
|
|
74
|
|
62
|
|
12
|
|
2
|
|
2020
|
|
23
|
|
8
|
|
6
|
|
2
|
|
3
|
|
2021
|
|
50
|
|
22|
|
10
|
|
10
|
|
Total
|
|
271
|
|
104|
|
78
|
|
24For two non-complying units, matter was forwarded to concerned SPCBs for necessary action.
This information was given by Minister of State in the M/o Environment, Forest and Climate change in Lok Sabha today.
Special Service and Features
International Seminarat Pondicherry University focuses on Popular Culture and Contemporary Literature
A seminar hosted by the Department of English of Pondicherry University put the spotlight on popular culture and contemporary literature. The two-day international seminar was held. Delivering the key-note address, Writer Jocelyn talked at length about the relevance of the seminar's theme. She emphasized that contemporariness means moving on from the past and going towards the promises of tomorrow. This attitude, she reiterated, has helped us transform a divided world into a united one using the advantages of technology.In his inaugural address, Prof. K Tharanikkarasu, Director of Studies, Pondicherry University, recollected various instances from his life that made him realize the importance of art and culture to humanity. He said that the evolving and adaptive nature of the field of humanities and man's continuing dependency on media of art for both relief and expression highlights the relevance of the theme for the seminar and also the need to encourage more such studies in the future. Popular culture, he reminded, continuously reinvents the past and confers newness and excitement to human lives.Prof. S. Armstrong, Head, Department of English and Foreign Languages, University of Madras, listed out various academic and non-academic ventures of the department, which sets it apart from other institutions around the country. Prof Clement S. Lourdes, Dean, School of Humanities,enlightened the audience about the aims of the seminar and how it is a part of the larger mission of the Department of English and especially its present Head, Dr. T Marx, to redefine and expand the definition of academics for students and scholars and hence open new vistas of learning.Prof T Marx, Professor and Head, Department of English, and Prof Binu Zachariah, Associate Professor, also spoke. The academic sessions of the seminar that followed consisted of five invited lecture sessions and fifteen technical sessions. Among those who led these sessions were Prof Prabahar from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Prof Ajay Shekher from Kalady Sree Sankaracharya University, Prof Kunhammad from Kannur University, Prof Samuel Rufus from Madras Christian College and Prof P Raja, Former Sahitya Academy member. The fifteen technical sessions saw 180 research papers presented by professors, research scholars and postgraduate students from several leading universities across the country. Prof G Aloysius, Independent Researcher was the chief guest of the valedictory session. A cultural evening featured indigenous Tamil art forms of Parai Isai by Adavu Kalai Kuzhu and Periya Melam by Paappampatti Munusamy Group.
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Prime Minister's Office
PM pays tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram on his Jayanti
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram on his Jayanti.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "स्वतंत्रता सेनानी और सामाजिक न्याय के प्रबल पैरोकार बाबू जगजीवन राम को उनकी जयंती पर विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि। समाज के शोषितों और वंचितों के उत्थान के लिए उनके प्रभावी प्रयास सदैव प्रेरणास्रोत रहेंगे।"
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 
Cabinet approves redevelopment of New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus , Mumbai Railway Stations
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved Indian Railways’ proposal for redevelopment of 3 major railway stations with an approximate total investment of nearly ₹10,000 Cr.:
a) New Delhi Railway Station;
b) Ahmedabad Railway Station; and
c) Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus  Mumbai
Railway Station is an important and central place for any city. Prime Minster Sh. Narendra Modi has given importance to stations development in the transformation of Railways. Today’s Cabinet decision gives a new direction to the station development. Work on redevelopment of 199 Stations is going on. Out of these, tenders have been issued for 47 stations. Master planning and design for the remaining is underway. Work is progressing fast for 32 stations. Today, the Cabinet has sanctioned investment of Rs. 10,000 crore for 3 big stations, namely New Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus , Mumbai and Ahmedabad Railway Stations.
The standard elements of station design will be:
- Every station will have a spacious roof plaza  with all passenger amenities at one place along with spaces for retail, cafeterias, recreational facilities.
- Both sides of the city will be connected with the station, with the station building on both sides of Railway tracks.
- Facilities like food court, waiting lounge, playing area for children, place for local products, etc will be available.
- The stations located within the city will have a city center like place.
- To make the stations comfortable, there will be proper illumination, way finding/signages, acoustics, lifts/escalators/travelators.
- Master plan has been prepared for smooth movement of traffic, with adequate parking facilities.
- There will be integration with other modes of transportation like metro, bus etc.
- Green Building Techniques will be used, with solar energy, water conservation/recycling and improved tree cover.
- Special care will be taken to provide Divyang friendly facilities.
- These stations will be developed on the concept of intelligent building.
- There will be segregation of arrival/departures, Clutter free platforms, improved surfaces, fully covered platforms.
- The stations will be safe with installation of CCTV and access control.
- These will be iconic station buildings.